Software code may contain instructions to locate specific data in data storage (e.g., memory such as volatile memory, and non-volatile memory, and the like). For example, software code may include instructions to search for a value in memory and to specify its location. Typically, this is accomplished by comparing each value in the data storage to the value to be searched until the location containing the value is determined. For example, typical instructions to locate a value, VALUE, in an array, x, having N elements are:
1   pos = −12   for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {3     if (x[i] == VALUE) {4       pos = i5       break;6     }7   }
Other software code may contain instructions to validate extrema values such as a maximum value or a minimum value in the data storage. For example, typical instructions to verify a maximum value, MAX, in an array, y, having N elements are:
1   MAX = −12   for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {3     if (y[i] > MAX) {4       MAX = y[i]5     }6   }
Each element in the array, y, is compared to the value, MAX, one at a time.